Juvenile amusement device



April 23,1935. A. KAPPENBER-G 1,998,508

JUVENILE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Nov. 2, 1955" F/ff l' Ff?. a.

az i z/ a s n A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 JUVENILE AMUsEMEN'r DEVICEv August Kappenberg,Bayside, N. Y.

Application November 2, i933, .serial No. 696352y 6 Claims.

This invention has general relation to amuse- .ment devices for childrenand has more particularreference to certain improvements in that .classof amusement devices which are known to ythetrade as spring teeters. i

Heretofore, these devices haveV usually `been lso constructed. vthatthe'seat assumes various planes atan yangle to the horizontal when thedevice is in use, the angular plane, in some instances, being so greatas to render it extremely kdiiiicult for the child to retain its seat,if not actually dislodging the child therefrom. vAlso, .previous devices-of this type have been constructed in such a manner that their actionhas :been restricted to a very limited up and dow :swinging movement ofthe seat. The presentinvention.resides in anV deviceof this character,the construction ofwhich is such asto insure the disposal of the seat ina 'substantially horizontal plane throughout the entire range of itsmovement when the device is 1n use.

The present invention alsoprovides a device of lthis nature` which is sodesigned that. theseat and the pivotal resilientsupporting meansthereforare capable of swinging movement' through'- out a vertical 'arcuatepath,.from a Vposition on y one side of ythe pivot to ay position onthe'opposite side'thereof, While the upper surface of the seat ismaintained in a substantially horizontal plane through its entire.movement.

The invention further embodies an improved device of theY characterr setforth which is comparatively simple and not complicated in itsconstruction, which employs but few parts capable :of-'economicalproduction and assembly or'disassembly for transportation and storage,and which affords a highly amusing, attractive and safe device.

With the above recited and other objects in view, reference ,is now madetothe following speciiication and accompanying drawing in which therehas been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, while theclaims cover variations .and modications thereof which fall within theirscope. v

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective viewof an amusement device constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

1 Fig. 2 is .an enlarged fragmentary side View thereof with parts brokenaway and shown in section to disclosethe underlying structure andillustrating in full and broken lines vthe extreme 5 positions of theseat supporting means, while improvedl s g PATENT OFFICEv furtherVshowing'a slightly modified form of the invention. y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross sectional View taken approximately onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2.l

Fig.i 4 is a similar view taken approximatelyv on theline 4;-4 of Fig,2.

Referring to the drawing by characters ofreference, A designatesgenerallythe base ofthe device which ispreferably, although notnecessarily, constructed froma lengthof timber 9 of .rectangular crosssectional configuration of vconsiderable lesser width than its height,which has theupper edges I0`of its opposite ends disposed above theupper edge I I Aof the intermediate portion.y `The base A furtherincludesv transverse pieces I2 in the region of its opposite ends 'forsupporting'the member 9 in'vertical position and for affording stabilityto the base, ythe cross pieces I2 being preferably removably secured inpositionin the usual manner to permit of. the readyfassembly anddisassembly of the samev with the memberll. l

'I'he vdevice further includes a' seat member which `is designatedgenerally by the reference character B and which includes a saddleelement I3 having a forwardly extending portion I4 'of reduced widthwhich is adapted to be straddle'd `by the child in the usual manner. Anupstanding ypost I5 is secured to and carried vby the portion M and isprovided with a transverse handle bar I5 adapted to be'grasped by thechild. The `seat member also includes a depending centrally disposedlongitudinally extending strip I'l; the underside of which is providedwith longitudinally y spaced recessions lor notcliesV I8 and.- I9.. :Theseat structure, so far described, is preferably constructed of wood,`anda pair of metalplates 2D are secured by bolts or other equivalentfasteningmeans to the opposite sides of the strip Il, the plates 2dbeing of a height so thatv the lower edges thereofr protrude below thelower edge of the strip I1.

The device further includes a seat supporting means which isgdesignatedgenerally by the reference character C and which means, .in the presentinstance, consists of a pair of resilient elastic straps or leaves 2land 22, preferably of spring steel and which straps or leaves are of thesame length. The opposite ends of `the straps or leaves 2| and 22 areprovided with bearing eyes 23 which maybe produced in any desired"mannerbut, in" the presentfinstance,v are shown as formed' by separate piecesof vmetal fashioned intermediate -their length' to define the bearingeyes 23 'andhaving the legs 24 protruding there*- from, engaging theopposite faces of the terminals of the straps or leaves and securedthereto by riveting, welding or in any other desired equivalent manner.

'Ihe bearing eyes 23 at the upper ends of the straps or leaves 2| and 22are of a width to snugly t between the plates 20 and are pivotallyattached thereto by cross bolts or pivots 25 so that the seat member Bis connected with the upper end of said straps or leaves 2| and 22l forpivotal movement Von the axes provided by the cross bolts or pivots 25.The recesses or notches |8 and I9, together with the side plates 20,dene depressions within which the upper ends of the leaves or straps arereceived and guided in the pivotal movement of the upper ends withreference to the seat member. The opposite sides of each depression ornotch I8 and I8 also serve as abutments with which the straps or leavesengage.

The bearing eyes 23 at the lower ends of the straps or leaves 22 are ofa width tosnugly fit between a pair of metal plates 26 which are securedby bolts or other equivalent fastening means to the opposite sides ofthe member 9 intermediate the length ofl said member.r The member 9 isprovided with V-shaped notches 21 and 28 which open through the upperedge I2 of the intermediate portion to dene together with the sideplates 26 recesses which accommodate the lower ends o the straps orleaves 2| and 22. Cross' bolts or pintles 29 extend through the sideplates and the bearing eyes 23 so that the lower ends of said straps orleaves 2| and 22 are pivotally connected with the base A for limitedswinging movement from an angular position on one side of the pivotalconnection to an angular position on the opposite side thereof.

In use and operation, the seat is disposed and supported in one of itstwo normal positions as illustrated in Fig. l where the resilient strapsor leaves 2| and 22 will be in a straightened condition bearing againstthe upper edge of one wall of each of the notches 21 and 28. When theweight of the child is brought to bear on the seat member B it isobvious that the straps or leaves 2| and 22 will be flexed or bowed tosubstantially the position illustrated `in Fig. 2, with the leaves orstraps fulcrumed against the upper edges of the side wall of each notch.This places the straps or leaves 2| andv 22 under tension butnevertheless, maintains a substantially horizontal position ofthe uppersurface of the saddle I3. By manipulatiiig the device in. the well knownmanner of a teeter or seesaw, the child causes a flexing and reflexingof the resilient straps or leaves 2| and 22 until sufficient momentum isgained to cause the seat member B to swing from its position on one sideof the pivotal connection of the straps or leaves 2| and 22v with thebase A, to a position on thek opposite side thereof wherethe straps orleaves 2| and 22 will abut with and be fulcrumed against the upper edgeof the opposite walls of the V-shaped notches 2T and 28 as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2; At this point, the momentum is graduallyarrested by the resilient or spring action of the leaves or straps 2|and 22 and by again manipulating the device in the manner of a teeter orseesaw, the child may cause the seat to swing back to its originalposition. During the complete movement oi' the seat from a position onone side of the pivotal connection of the leaves or straps with thebase, to the position on the other side, it will be obvious that, due tothe manner in which the seat member is supported,

the upper surface of the saddle 3 will remain horizontal throughout.

Obviously, the size of the device and the strength of the spring strapsor leaves 2| and 22 may be varied to accommodate children within variousage and weight limits. If desired, optional fulcrum points for theresilient straps or leaves 2| and 22 may be provided, as shown in themodification illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, in whichinstance the optional abutments consist of the upper edges of thenotches 21 and 28 and cross bolts 30 which are inserted through alignedpairs of openings 3| in the upwardly extending portion 32 of the sideplates 26. In this instance, the cross bolt in the intermediate pair ofopenings 3| will serve as an abutment or fulcrum for both resilientstraps or leaves 2| and 22. It will also be observed that the crossbolts 30 may be inserted in the openings 3| when the resilient strapsror leaves 2| and 22 are flexed to the position as illustrated in Fig.2, in which instance the seat is confined to a spring movement in themanner of an ordinary spring teeter toy vwhile, due to the doublesupport, the upper surface of the saddle is maintained in substantiallyhorizontalV position.

It should also be noted that the side plates 20 and 26 andthe recessionsor notches I8, I9 and 2l make for a laterally rigid support of the seatfrom the base so that the movement of the seat is guided and lateralsway is prevented.

What is claimed is: f

1. In a. juvenile amusement device, a base, a seat, and spaced resilientstraps for resiliently and plvotally supporting the seat from the base:for movement throughout a vertically arcuate path in a planelongitudinally of the base, and divergent abutments providedrespectively on said seat and base against which the opposite ends ofthe straps respectively abut to limit the pivotal movement of the strapswith respect to the base and seat.

2. In a juvenile amusement device, a base, a seat, and spaced resilientstraps for resiliently and pivotally supporting the seat from the basefor movement throughout a vertically arcuate path in a planelongitudinally of the base, and divergent abutments on the base 'againstwhich said straps directly abut to limit the pivotal movement inopposite directions.

3. In a juvenile amusement device, a base, a seat and spaced resilientstraps pivotally connected respectively at their opposite ends tothebase and seatl at longitudinally spaced points and `V-shaped notchesopening through the upper surface of the base providing divergentrabutments with which the straps engage to limit their pivotal movementin opposite directions.

4. In a juvenile amusement device, a. base, a seat and spaced resilientstraps pivotally connected at their-upper ends to the seat and pivotallyconnected at their lower ends to the base intermediate the ends of thebase and'abutments on the base with'which said straps respectively abutto limit the pivotal movement thereof inopposite directions.

5. In a juvenile amusement device, a base, a seat, a longitudinallyextending strip on the underside or" the seat having spaced notchesformed with divergent walls forming abutments, side plates on said stripand a pair of spaced resilient straps pivotally connected at their upperends to the side plates on axes located at the apexes of said notchesand pivotally connected at their lower ends to the base and means on thebase for limiting the pivotal movement of said straps in oppositedirections.

6. In a juvenile amusement device, an elongated base, a seat and a pairof resilient straps 5 pivotally connected respectively at their oppositeends to the seat and medial portion of the base and operating to supportsaid seat in longitudinal alignment with said base, and means on saidbase against which said straps abut to limit the pivotal movementthereof and to act as a. fulcrum for flexing of the straps.

AUGUST KAPPENBERG.

